Advice for the Young at Heart
by Devil Woman
Summary: While escaping from their latest mission, Gamora is accidentally turned back into her seven year old self during a hyper jump in the Milano. As the rest of her team mates try to repair the faulty hyperdrive, Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot now have to look after the juvenile ex-assassin. Rating due to language.
1. Chapter 1

Advice for the Young at Heart

By Devil Woman

DISCLAIMER: All characters are copy righted by Disney/Marvel. I own nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So this my first fan-fic based around the Guardians of the Galaxy and I decided to make it a de-aged story. A bit of a gamble, but hopefully this will pay off; I have already tried my hand at a kid fic with The Avengers and that one went over well ("Four Superheroes and a Tsarevna"). Read and Review!

* * *

"You just had to piss them off, didn't ya Quill?"

"Shut up!"

Guess old habits die hard. What started out as a simple cease and desist of a local space pirate gang had led the group now in a dog fight with them. As the _Milano_ zipped back and forth in between rocks and space debris (not to mention dodging laser beams that the pirates where firing at them), Peter Quill, also known as Star Lord (to those who actually knew who he was), gritted his teeth in frustration. The asteroid belt they were in was cluttered with crap, thus making maneuvering extremely difficult.

"We've only known each other for, oh I dunno…awhile now and that mouth of yours never ceases to amaze me." Rocket told his leader.

"First off, I figured a joke would help lighten the mood. And second, I thought I'd spruce up on my off-colored humor."

"You should fire your agent, Quill." The small, but feisty raccoon fired back while also literally firing the ship's guns at their assailants and missing. Rocket cursed his bad luck, but didn't hold back after reloading.

"Guys, save your quarrel for later and let's just get the hell out of here!" Gamora snapped at her partners. She was watching the navigation grid trying to set a clear path for the ship.

Drax and Groot where strapped in their seats watching from the windows, surveying the enemy ships that where creeping in closure toward them.

"They're nearly on our tail!" Drax informed.

"Gamora, did you find a path yet?" Peter asked his co-pilot.

"I found one! But we're going to have to hyper jump to use it." she said.

"Works for me."

Since they had made themselves comfortable on the _Milano_, each of the newly formed Guardians of the Galaxy had contributed to making improvements on the ship. At first this upset Peter; the _Milano_ was his pride and joy, his baby. But after going over what they were (and weren't) allowed to do, he eased his worries. But Rocket was the one to watch out for. That little bastard had an itchy mechanic's finger and was always tinkering away at something. So it was no surprise that the furball had made some adjustments to the hyperdrive. Rocket lessened Peter's concerns over said tweaks to the core.

"Don't worry your pretty little head off, princess. When the time comes to use the hyper jump, it'll be so smooth that it won't knock Groot outta his pot."

The small sapling wiggled in delight when Rocket mentioned his name.

"If you say so. Hey! Did you just call me princess?!"

Rocket let out a hearty chuckle. "Well, you do act like one when it comes to the well-being of this ship…princess." Peter flipped off his friend, to which Drax then had to ask what exactly was wrong with the man's finger.

Back to the matter at hand, now wasn't the time for Peter to have any apprehensions about the hyperdrive. Flipping back the clear cover to the button, he warned everyone about the jump.

"Buckle up folks. Things are gonna get bumpy."

He slammed his fist on the glowing red button and the engines whirled. The sudden burst of speed caused the group to be pressed hard against their seats as the ship jumped into warp speed. With a bright flash of white light, the _Milano_ disappeared from the pirates' view, leaving the scoundrels in shock. Just where did those a-holes vanish to?

In some far-off part of the galaxy, the _Milano_ popped up via a splash of white light. Now floating in the vast sea of stars, the crew breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whoo!" Peter cried. "We lost them."

"Damn straight! What'd I tell ya? Smooth as silk." Rocket prided himself over the successful jump.

"Excellent, my friends!" Drax congratulated his team mates. He then noticed Groot's worried expression as the tree noticed Gamora's chair was empty.

"I am Groot." The tree man said, pointing to the chair.

"Rocket. I do believe Groot has made an important observation." Drax alerted the small animal. The raccoon turned to his friend and saw what the matter was.

"Shit. Hey Quill, Gamora's gone."

"What?!" Peter also saw the empty chair. "Quick, search the ship." he instructed.

The four hastily got up from their seats and began to try to find Gamora. Each of the men was worried for their team-mate, hoping she was not injured or worse…

They turned up empty-handed. While pondering what to do next, a loud bang was heard in the air ducts above their heads. The group looked up, curious as to what had caused the noise.

"Did I just hear something rattling in the air ducts?"

"You are not the only one, Peter. I have heard a thud as well." Drax said as another bang followed.

"So, who's gonna check it out?" Rocket said and then realizing he put his own foot in his mouth. Sighing in frustration, Rocket sulked over to his toolbox and dug out his flashlight.

"Come one, big guy." The raccoon said to Groot. "I'm gonna need a boost."

Groot unhinged the opening to the air duct and gently placed Rocket inside. After switching on their ear pieces to communicate with one another, Rocket started to crawl on all fours in the duct, using the flashlight to shine ahead of him.

"Jesus, these ducts are dirty! You'd think you would have these things cleaned out once a year, Quill."

"Then I nominate you Rocket. You're practically a living feather duster and I get to save some credits too!" Peter quipped.

Rocket huffed in annoyance, but chose not to respond. Suddenly, a shadow scurried past him. Rocket paused and then slowly moved forward, not wanting to irritate whatever was in the air duct with him. Drax, Peter and Groot watched from below, wondering why Rocket was so quiet.

"What the-?! AAAHH!"

All of a sudden Rocket shot out of the air duct like a bullet being fired from a gun. Groot caught the small beast like a football and cradled Rocket in his massive arms.

"Rocket!"

"I'm fine. That little shit kicked me with such force it took me by surprise."

"Did you manage to get a good look at whatever hit you?" Drax said after Groot placed Rocket on the floor.

"Not really. But I think it was a kid."

"A kid?!" both Peter and Drax exclaimed. "Why would a kid be on the ship?" Peter questioned.

"Who knows, but they can't hide in the air ducts forever." Rocket said, eyeing the thermostat on the wall with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"No!" Peter scolded. "We're not gonna roast'em outta there!"

"Perhaps I can coax the little one to come out." Drax offered.

"Good idea."

Grabbing a nearby stool, Drax hoisted himself up and called out to the child. "Young one. You are not in any trouble. We can offer you the help you need. All you need to do is just come out of hiding."

Silence, but then a stir. A shuffling noise was coming closer to the opening and then stopped. Drax saw that it was indeed a child. It was a little girl who could have been no more than seven years old with her back pressed against the wall of the duct. Her jet black hair was messy and hung just below her shoulders. She wore an over-sized black t-shirt, now covered in dust and crumpled from crawling around inside the duct. The child grasped Rocket's flashlight he left and aimed the beam of light at Drax. He squinted, trying to see the girl who was clearly scared and nervous.

"Who are you?!" demanded the girl.

"I am called Drax the Destroyer. And who might you be?"

"I'm not telling you anything! You stay away from me!"

"But my comrades and I only want to help you."

"No!"

"Drax, let me give it a go." Peter then got up on the stool and peered into the duct. A bright light shown directly in his face making Peter quickly close his eyes in irritation. "Hey! Turn off the high beams, will ya?"

Hesitating, the little girl complied after careful thought. Dimming the flashlight, Peter opened his eyes once more and was able to get a better view of the child. Aside from the black hair and clothing, the girl's skin was an all too familiar shade of green that was akin to Gamora's own. Could it be? No, that was ridiculous!

"That's better. Now, why don't you come out of this dusty air duct? Out here's pretty sweet."

"Why should I?" the little girl spat at Peter.

"Because being in an air duct is not the most comfortable place on this ship. And I know first-hand it's not."

Peter recalled he accidentally got stuck in one of the air duct openings while trying to repair the ship one day. With his backside protruding in the air, Rocket was in stitches laughing at the former thief's plight and got a couple of good swift kicks to Peter's butt. It took both Drax and Groot to pull Peter free. "I felt like Winnie the Pooh for a bit." Peter commented after being freed, to which his team mates gave him quizzical looks. He reminded himself to show the aliens a video of the famed children's character in order for them to better understand the context of the joke.

The girl eyed Peter with suspicion. Perhaps this man was right, being in an air duct was no fun and it was pretty dirty as she let a tiny sneeze escape to show just how dusty they were.

"Alright, I'll come out."

Peter smiled; glad to see that the youngster was cooperating. He helped the girl out of the air duct and set her down. She fixed her large shirt as it was long enough to be considered a dress on her tiny body. She looked around and took in her surroundings.

"What a weird bunch of men he sent to guard me." The child said.

"Weird, huh?" Rocket crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. "Listen kid, you ain't seen nothing yet. Groot."

Groot nodded and produced a vine with flowers growing from his palm. The little girl's eyes widened with awe.

"Wow! OK, that was pretty weird." She replied.

"And just who is this 'he' you refer to?" Drax asked the child.

"My father. Well, my adopted father."

"What's your dad's name?" Peter pondered.

The little girl twisted her shirt nervously, not wanting to reveal the true identity of her father to these unfamiliar men before her. Peter knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Peter with her dark brown eyes and saw him smile at her. The man's easy-going demeanor let the youngster know that they weren't going to harm or threaten her.

"I know you're scared, but I promise the four of us will make sure you get home safe and sound. So, tell me. What's the name of your dad?" Peter calmly stated.

The child, though still uneasy, took a deep breath and told Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot the name of her father.

"Thanos. Thanos is the name of my father."

It was as if a nuclear bomb had been detonated. This had caused the heroes to be silent over the shock of this revelation. No one knew how to respond. It was Peter who broke the silence between them, hoping to ease the uncomfortable air in the room.

"If Thanos is your father…then you must be Gamora?"

"Yes." The little girl answered.

"Uh, wow…" Peter was normally quick to defer any situation with his wit and charm, but this was one of those times he didn't know what to do next. Luckily, it was Drax who came to rescue.

"Would you like something to drink, Gamora? I bet being up in those air ducts has made you very thirsty."

"Yes, please."

Drax then escorted the now juvenile former assassin to the galley leaving Peter, Rocket and Groot to themselves.

"Well, now we know what happened to Gamora." Rocket said to the still in shock Peter.

"And I know what caused her to become a kid again." The thief glared at the raccoon in anger.

"Whoa now! Let's not play the Blame Game."

"Bullshit! I should have never let you and your grubby little paws touch the _Milano_'s hyper drive core!"

"Piss off, Quill! That drive needed to be tuned up!"

"I AM GROOT!"

Both Rocket and Peter stared at the tall tree man. Groot's enraged glare was a silent, stern warning to stop their squabbling.

"You're right Groot. Fighting's not gonna get us anywhere." Rocket muttered in guilt over his behavior.

Peter agreed. "We need to come up with a plan and fast. Emergency meeting, stat!"

After seeing that Gamora was alright and taken care of, the four went into the storage room just across from the galley to discuss what to do with their now young team-mate.

"How's she doing, Drax? Is she OK?" Peter asked him.

"Gamora is fine. She seems to have no memory of when she was an adult. She believes that Thanos has hired us to watch over her while he is away. The child also asked me when she will be able to return home as well. Apparently, Thanos used to abandon Gamora for long periods of time in order to develop the biological implants and training regiments she received when she was originally a child."

"It also didn't help when you promised her to return her home. And lord knows we can't do that!" Rocket reminded Peter. "Better put that mouth of yours to good use, pretty boy and come up with a plausible story."

"But will she buy it?"

The heroes looked at one another, wondering what the other was thinking.

"Children are impressionable, but also very bright." Drax's observation did carry truth. He had been a father himself before his own daughter was cruelly killed by the late Ronan the Accuser under Thanos' command.

It seemed that the little girl did trust her "appointed" guardians and would take their word to heart. So after going over various probable stories to tell her, the group finally agreed on an explanation that would (hopefully) not make Gamora doubt her reasons for being on the _Milano_. Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot filed into the galley and sat down at the table with the child. Gamora was busy eating a slice of some type of sweetened pound cake and a glass of milk when they entered.

"Mr. Drax, thank you for the snack. It was delicious!"

"You are most welcome."

"So, when will I be able to go home? I miss my father so much." Gamora noticed the hesitation from the men and began to grow concerned. "I'm not going to go home right away?" she said in a sad voice.

"Not yet." Peter replied. "Your father has some important work that is going to take a long time to complete."

"He's always working. He never has time for me. And when he does spend time with me, Father is training me how to fight and defend myself…and other things." Gamora quietly said in the same unhappy tone.

"What other things does he do to you?" Rocket inquired.

The girl averted her eyes, letting the men know it was a painful subject to talk about. The raccoon knew this expression all too well. It was one he also saw during his days as an unwilling test subject…perhaps when Gamora was more comfortable talking about it; he could offer her words of support.

"But we're not like that, Gamora. We will never push you into anything that makes you feel like crap." Peter reassured her.

"Really?"

"Yes. In fact, since Thanos left us in charge; we're going to have some fun. Maybe even break a few rules." The thief's charisma and mischievous attitude made the seven year old smile.

"And Father will never know?"

"We won't tell if you don't. Right guys?" Peter winked at the aliens. While Rocket and Groot caught on to Peter's underlining plan, Drax was confused. Despite he had learned most Terran figures of speech; there were still many that required an explanation from Peter. Quickly composing himself, Drax nodded and chuckled in embarrassment.

"So, are you in or out, kid?" Rocket said in the same rascally attitude as his leader.

"In!" Gamora happily cheered.

While they had convinced the seven year old Gamora that her time with her adult team mates was going to be filled with fun and games, the galactic heroes realized that they had another major issue on their hands: the malfunctioning hyperdrive.


	2. Chapter 2

In the engine room of the ship, Rocket was running diagnostics on the current state of the hyperdrive core. Peter was also with him, trying to make sense of all the numeric equations on the data pad in his hand.

"Math was never one of my strong suits. This is like a whole other language to me. And I've lived in space since I was eight!"

"Then how did you manage the _Milano_ all this time without a proper engineer?" the raccoon asked in disbelief. He knew Peter wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even someone as brash as Quill had at least some basic knowledge of how a spaceship engine works.

"Being under the Ravagers' care did teach me a thing or two on making sure the engine didn't blow up. But hyperdrive cores and of the like: fuhgeddaboudit!"

"Your stupidity is adorable sometimes." Rocket teased.

"And your wise cracks are just as precious." Peter rebutted.

Rocket swiped the data pad from the Terran's hand and grimaced as he scanned over the information. The animal mumbled under his breath, making mental notes as he continued to go over the data.

"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" Rocket said after he finished reading the data pad.

"Bad news."

"Aren't we a bit of a masochist now? Alright, the bad news is that our hyper jump yesterday fried several circuits and computer panels attached to the main processor of the core. Once those kicked the can, it must have caused a flux which affected Gamora and changed her back to her seven year old self."

"And the good news?"

"The parts are easy to replace…but I have more bad news."

Peter sighed. "Let me guess. The parts are few and far between."

"Exactly! Luckily for us, you have excellent barter skills and connections as a former picker, Pete. I'll compile a list of what we need to fix the hyperdrive and give to you when we land to refuel and buy supplies. Oh, and while we're at port, Gamora's gonna need all new clothes and stuff now that she's a kid again."

"Like I don't know that. I'll go let Drax know he's gonna have to go shopping for kids clothes—"

But Rocket interrupted Peter. "No, you're going to take Gamora shopping."

"Me?! But I'm no good at dealing with that kind of stuff! Besides, out of all of us, Drax has experience being a parent. I bet he'll be more useful picking out girlie clothes than shifting through useless junk."

"I beg to differ, friend Peter." Drax was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest in annoyance, eyeing Peter.

"Oh, hey buddy. Didn't notice you there…" Peter said in a nervous stutter.

"We all agreed to take turns watching over young Gamora. I have looked after her since last night and it is your turn now, Quill."

"Fine! But I want no comments from the peanut gallery when I come back with an armload of pink and frilly kids clothes." The thief threatened his partners as he exited the engine room.

"I did not know legumes could talk." Drax told Rocket, not understanding once more of Terran sayings.

The tiny bounty hunter shook his head in disgust. "Drax, even I know what that phrase means." Thus the raccoon gave another lesson on Terran language to Drax.

The _Milano_ docked into the trading port and everyone exited the vessel. Drax was in charge of purchasing fuel for the ship while Rocket and Groot headed over to the markets to pick out supplies to restock the ship. That left Peter and the seven year old girl to go to the other side of the port where the clothing store was located.

Peter looked at the little girl, who was holding his hand as they made their way to store through the crowd of people. Gamora was dressed in what the crew had on hand; after all, she couldn't be running around in an over-sized t-shirt dress all the time. Outfitted in Peter's basketball shorts and one of her adult t-shirts that had shrunk in the wash, the child also wore sandals that flopped about like clown shoes. With not much left from the team's last payout from the earlier mission, Peter had to make sure he could afford cheap children's clothing and accessories and buy up as much as he could find.

Thankfully, the clothing store the port offered had plenty of options for Gamora. Peter helplessly eyed the racks filled with a colorful variety of girl's clothing, not sure what size his now juvenile team-mate wore. The sales associates noticed the man's over-whelmed expression and offered their help. He happily accepted, especially since the women were pretty cute and bubbly.

The sales women's outgoing personalities had certainly rubbed off on Gamora. The little girl happily modeled her new outfits for them and Peter. He even got in on the fun, picking out various shirts, pants, dresses and shoes for the child to try on.

"How do I look?" Gamora asked Peter when she came out of the dressing room. She was wearing a dress that Peter had picked from the nearby rack; it was a pink and red floral dress that the hero thought would look adorable on her.

He couldn't help but grin in delight. "You look very cute." He complimented. This made Gamora blush and giggle out of embarrassment.

What Peter had told the girl was true. The adult Gamora was not concerned by her appearance often, unless it was for an undercover job. When he did remember seeing her all dolled up in feminine attire, he couldn't help but stare at her like a love-sick fool. The elder Gamora was certainly one of the most beautiful women Peter had ever laid eyes on. Of course, if he did tell her that, Gamora was more than happy to prove why she was the deadliest woman in the whole galaxy to him (along with claiming that his "pelvic sorcery" was no match for her).

Seeing the seven year old Gamora enjoying being doted on by the adults also made Peter happy for her. While the former assassin hated talking about her terrible upbringing with Thanos, he hoped that when she would become an adult again, Gamora would be able to remember her time as a child once more…especially since times like this where with people who truly cared for her.

When the two made their way back to the _Milano_ after paying for the clothes, Peter's team mates saw the large, heavy shopping bags the man was carrying. With a heavy thud and a loud huff, Peter placed them on the table and eyed his friends.

"I think we're good." He said as the little girl then placed two smaller bags on the table as well.

"Mr. Quill let me pick as many clothes as I wanted!" the clearly ecstatic child declared.

"I'm sure he did. Say, how many pink and frilly items did you manage to score?" Rocket egged on.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Gamora here detests the color pink." Peter proudly beamed. The smug look on his face was more than enough to disappoint the raccoon from making jokes.

"Pink is a gross color! But I do like this dress that Mr. Quill picked out for me, even if it has a bit of pink in it." Gamora then dug into the bag and pulled out the red and pink floral dress from earlier.

Drax and Groot thought it was a very sweet and delightful dress but Rocket had different opinions. He let out a humorous cackle and made his view known to Peter. "I hope you bought a matching outfit, Quill. Are you gonna parade around town with a tiara on your head? It'll make you look like the true princess you are."

"Ha-HA! Very funny. If I'm a princess, then you're my trusty animal sidekick. You've already got the comedic part down, now you just have to help me clean up the ship when I sing about doing chores."

The raccoon immediately stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes are the former thief. "Bite me." He muttered. Rocket took another look at the dress and did admit it was pretty and that the girl would look nice when she wore it.

Later that evening, long after the Milano had left port and was in space; Peter met up with Rocket just before lights out was called. While he had yet to search for the parts to repair the hyperdrive, Peter wanted to check in with Rocket to see if he and Groot had any luck finding them.

"The both of us came up empty-handed. BAH! That port had a crappy selection of spare parts to choose from anyway."

"I'll try to get in contact with a few of my old resources tomorrow. Maybe they might give us some leads into finding those parts." Peter said. As he turned to leave Rocket to whatever he did late at night, the raccoon stopped his leader.

"I gotta say…it was nice seeing Gamora be happy for once, even if she's a kid now."

The former thief was taken aback by Rocket's humble comment.

"Truthfully, so was I. I don't know how long it's gonna be before we can get Gamora back to normal, but…I want to do whatever it takes to make sure she has a blast as a kid again. We all had pretty shitty childhood, to some degree. I think Gamora's takes the cake; no one should ever have to go through what she went through. I believe by having her become seven again is a happy accident."

"How so?"

"It gives her a chance to be around people who truly care for her. And with that, Gamora will be able to finally enjoy being a kid and not some tool to be manipulated."

"You're right, Pete." Rocket said, smiling. "Let's make sure she has the childhood she deserves to have." It was a promise that both men knew they could keep.


	3. Chapter 3

_The search for the replacement parts was going to be a long one, but that didn't hinder the Guardians of the Galaxy. For Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot it was a chance to spend time with the now seven year old Gamora. Each of the men took turns watching over her and in turn grew closer to the little girl. There were many ups and downs now taking care of a small child. Regardless of such things, Gamora was having a blast with the four heroes._

Drax was often the one whom the others went to when it came to getting advice on how to act like a parent. This didn't bother Drax at all; since he had a wife and young daughter before that day he lost them forever…

It still pained him, losing his beloved family. He would never completely get over their deaths, especially having to witness them first hand as the late Ronan the Accuser slaughtered them with no remorse. The Kree radical just took them down as if they were dumb animals. It angered Drax to no end!

He would take his frustrations out in the training room, beating the punching bag until his fists and arms where sore. When this didn't quell his anger, Drax had taken to meditating with Groot on the observation deck. The tree man had save his life all those months ago, proving not only Groot was a true friend, but so was the rest of the guardians. When a friend is in trouble, you have their backs and will stand by their side no matter what. With Gamora now a child again, Drax was given the chance to repay her for her acceptance of him (even when it was he who screwed up in the past and called her unflattering names).

Most of the time he spent watching the little girl, they did typical father-daughter activities. As he watched the seven year old play with her toys and games, Drax began to recall the times he spent playing with his own daughter. Gamora would often notice the sad look on Drax's face when they would spend time together. She knew little about his late family and wanted to ask him about them, but knew it was rude of her to ask such questions.

However, her wish to figure out what was eating Drax finally caught up to her. During a game of Guess Who (a Terran game Peter had taught the aliens how to play); Gamora finally had the courage to ask the brute about his family.

"Mr. Drax, can I ask you about something?"

"Of course."

"Well…I notice that sometimes you look sad when you spend time with me. Am I making you upset?"

Drax noticed the girl's hurt look. "No, you are not making me feel sad. It's just…you remind me of my daughter from time to time."

"Oh." Gamora still wasn't convinced. "I know she died a long time ago, along with your wife. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. I still miss the both of them and I was in so much grief. But don't feel as if you are forcing me to bring up such bitter memories, Gamora. In fact, I am reminded by you on how much I have loved my daughter."

"How am I like her?" the little girl questioned. She was curious as to how she was similar to his deceased loved one.

Drax let a small smile appear on his face. "My daughter Camaria was a bright, intelligent girl. She was always eager to learn and enjoyed expressing her creativity. Camaria also had a gentle spirit; she would make friends easily and could have been a natural born leader."

"I'm just like that too?"

Drax nodded. "I have no doubt that if Camaria was here today the two of you would have become very good friends."

Gamora grinned with delight. "I wish I could have met her sooner, Mr. Drax. Your daughter sounds like she would have been a lot of fun to be around with. I bet even Nebula would have liked her too."

"Do you miss Nebula?" Drax knew that along with Gamora, Thanos had another adoptive daughter. Nebula had originally betrayed Thanos and sided with Ronan. She even made several attempts to kill her sister, but ultimately retreated from the final battle. As of now, the heroes had no clue where the cybernetic-enhanced villianness was; but when the time was right Nebula would make herself known to the group.

For now, the juvenile Gamora only saw Nebula as a supportive older sibling and not the bitter, vengeful woman the real Nebula was. "I miss Nebbie so much! She and I would spare a lot when Father would train us. Nebbie is stronger than I and would win often. But when it was just the two of us, she was willing to help me improve my skills."

"She sounds like a loving, caring sister." It was awkward for Drax to make such a comment when it was far from the truth. But Gamora was just a child and when you are young, the truth is sometimes clouded amongst lies that would ultimately show themselves later in life.

When they grew tired of playing Guess Who, the little girl wondered what they should next. "What kinds of activities did you and Camaria like to do?" she asked Drax.

He thought about it and then an answer came to him. "I remember fondly that Camaria enjoyed art very much. When she was in school, she would always grow excited when it was time for art class. Camaria would bring home piles of drawings and paintings of just about anything that would inspire her to create beautiful works of art."

"Then I want to do that with you!"

Drax agreed and began to search the ship for art supplies. After finding scrap paper, a box of markers and some colored pencils, he presented them to Gamora. While there wasn't much of a color palate to choose from, the girl was still grateful for the chance to be able to draw and color. As Drax and Gamora worked on their drawings, he made a note that the next time the _Milano_ stopped at another planet, he would try to find a proper art kit for the little girl.

He was once again reminded of his daughter, rushing home from school with a big smile on her as she hugged him and eagerly thrusting the pile of papers covered with various doodles and figures for him to see.

"Look, Daddy! I made a spaceship just like the ones the Nova Corps fly!" Camaria said, pointing the oddly shaped object on the construction paper in hastily colored crayon.

"You are quite the artist, little one." Drax had told the young child.

"I want to be able to fly on a real spaceship someday. Will I be able to when I'm older?"

"I know you well, sweetheart." He said before placing a kiss on her forehead.

For every time he mourned the loss of his wife and daughter, Drax was quick to recall happier moments with his family. This memory of Camaria, so sweet and innocent, made the former criminal almost shed a tear. Instead, Drax smiled, glad to have such wonderful memories give comfort in otherwise grim times. He was lost in thought when Gamora brought him back to reality.

"Mr. Drax, I want you to see my work."

"Alright. I am keen to see what you have created, Gamora."

The seven year old turned her paper around for him to see. On the off-white sheet, she had drawn all the guardians, including herself. As he stared at the picture, Drax couldn't help but start to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Gamora said.

"Your skills as an artist are splendid, young one! You have captured Quill and Rocket so humorously!" bellowed the brute.

Gamora looked at her interpretations of the Terran and raccoon. She had given Rocket a frown while Peter was drawn with a slightly annoyed expression. Now seeing just how funny their expressions where, Gamora also laughed.

"You're right, especially since Mr. Quill and Mr. Rocket are always fighting with one another."

"That is true, but they do care and respect one another." Drax pointed out. He then noticed a gray and red figure next to one that appeared to be Groot. He asked the child if this was supposed to be himself.

"Yup! I think I may have not drawn your tattoos right, though." Gamora then pointed to the man's skin. "You have so many, it's hard to keep track."

"All of my markings on my skin have meaning. They tell of troubling times and of good ones as well. Someday, when you are old enough, I will be more than happy to explain their meanings to you." Drax explained.

She nodded, but then an idea popped into her head. "If you don't mind, I would like to draw a better picture of you. I want to be able to draw your tattoos perfectly."

"And how will you accomplish this?"

It was strange sight to see as he walked into the main area of the ship. Peter was going into the galley to grab something to drink and a snack when he saw the little girl and Drax. She was sitting on the floor busy scribbling away on a sheet of paper with a pencil, occasionally looking up at Drax. He was standing about a foot or so away from her, posing. The way the man stood was like that of a competitor from _American Gladiators_; though the ones Peter remembered from his childhood exuded confidence and pride, not looking so foolish and odd.

"Drax, what are you doing?"

"Oh, hello friend Peter. I am posing for young Gamora here. She wishes to capture me in a heroic stance, as well as practice recreating my markings on paper."

"OK…and how's that going, Gamora?"

"Rather well, Mr. Quill." She said and held up her drawing to Peter.

He was impressed by the girl's skill. The amount of detail Gamora had put into Drax's tattoos was remarkable! The hard, sharp lines and swirls that adorned Drax's body were perfectly captured in the little girl's drawing.

"Nice job!" he said and gave her thumbs up as a seal of approval.

"Thank you. Now, "she said, turning back to Drax. "Can you lift your right arm up a bit? I just need to finish the marking on your arm and I'll be done."

"Certainly, little one." Drax then raised his arm in a strongman's stance.

Peter had to stifle a chuckle as he watched the muscle of the group look like something out of a Warner Brothers cartoon. Peter's laughter didn't seem to affect the child's concentration. Gamora was so engulfed at the task at hand that her eyes squinted in determination and her tongue stuck out slightly. Her face returned to normal when she had completed her drawing. Standing up, she let Drax know that the picture was done and proudly showed the man his portrait.

"So, did I do a better job this time?" she questioned him.

"Hmm…You not only did a better job, you have magnificently captured me as the hero I have become, Gamora!"

The seven year old had a huge smile on her face from the praise she was receiving from Drax. "Are you sure? I know I can do better…" she said, then becoming worried of failing at her drawing of the man.

"You have done a fine job. You should not be so hard on yourself. I know your father has high expectations of you, but you need not to prove yourself over and over to us, Gamora. I am honored by your interpretation of me and my markings in your artwork. You have made me proud." Drax said, hoping to ease her worries.

Gamora saw just how appreciative the hero was of her hard work and became happy once more. "Thank you very much, Mr. Drax! Mr. Quill, would you like for me to draw you as well sometime?"

"I'd like that. But let's be sure I look just, if not, better than Drax here." Peter playfully bantered.

"With your attitude, friend Peter, it shouldn't be hard at all. You are a bit of a hothead." Drax told him, correctly using the Terran phrase that Rocket often called Peter.

Gamora giggled over the thief's chagrined reaction to Drax's statement. But he was quick to forgive his team-mate; after all, a little humility does go a long way.

Much later in the day, after the group had dinner, Peter had pulled Drax aside and asked how he was doing with the juvenile Gamora. "I know it must be tough for you, given how you lost your daughter at around the same age Gamora is now."

"I have fared better in dealing with my loss now that I am among true friends. I will admit that there are times the death of my wife and child still haunts me, especially when I am with young Gamora."

"If it bothers you too much, I or Rocket and Groot can take her off your hands." Peter offered.

"Thank you for the consideration, but I must decline."

"Really?"

Drax nodded. "Now that Gamora is a young girl again, it reminds me of the good times I got to spend with Camaria. I have lived in grief over her and my wife's death for so long, that I almost forgot about the wonderful times I was able to have with them. When I am with the little one…it gives me comfort that I now have a second chance to offer happiness to not only to Gamora, but to remember just how wonderful it is to parent."

Peter patted the brute's shoulder. "I'm glad for you, buddy. You being mopey around the ship isn't healthy. But I understand where you are coming from…and I'm glad that Gamora was able to show you that those good memories always beat out the bad ones."

Drax thanked Peter, happy to have such a good group of friends to remind him that life may deal you hurdles, but once you get over them, you are often rewarded with something even greater.


	4. Chapter 4

If there was one thing Rocket liked more than harassing Peter, it was being alone in his workshop by the engine room. Not only did it provide solitude from the rest of the crew (through Groot was more than welcome to be with the raccoon whenever he wished), it also let the ex-bounty hunter indulge in his passion for anything mechanical. Weather it was repairing broken weapons or adding improvements to said weapons, Rocket was the happiest in his private sanctuary of metal and electronics. But today was different…very different.

Instead of being alone with his thoughts as he mindlessly worked away on whatever project he was pursuing or even enjoying some one-on-one buddy time with Groot, Rocket was stuck babysitting a seven year old.

Gamora always respected Rocket's opinions; despite she would roll her eyes on occasion when the woman felt the small beast was out of line. Hell, Rocket even liked her. But now that she was a little girl once more, the annoyance level had risen. The child had a curiosity to her that would have not only killed a cat (as the phrase goes); it would mostly likely kill Rocket!

This came in the form of her constantly asking Rocket questions about his hobby. As he was busy repairing Peter's busted elemental gun for the fourth time this week (seriously, that dumbass needs to stop rough-housing his blaster like some careless kid; no pun intended), Gamora would stand next to the raccoon as he poked and prodded at the weapon.

"What are you working on?"

"I'm trying to fix Pete's gun."

"What's wrong with it?"

"That dummy blew out a charge. I'm replacing the burnt out one with a new one."

"Why does the gun need a charge? I thought it fired bullets."

"The bullets are actually compressed meta-physical compounds of the four basic elements. They pack more punch than regular gunpowder bullets. In order for the gun to work—"and this is when Rocket would pause, let out a tired, frustrated sigh and turn to the youngster.

"Look, I have a lot of work to do and I can't be bothered. Go run off and play with Groot."

"But I want to learn about how to fix weapons. Father taught me that it's very important to learn about as many weapons as I can."

"Well, I ain't your Papa. Now buzz off and go make daisy crowns with Groot or somethin'." Rocket shooed Gamora way, but not before she gave him a dirty look when she took her leave.

This would go on for some time before Groot had let Rocket know he was being rude to the girl.

"I know I'm not being fair, but I'm dealing with very sensitive materials now."

With some hard work, Peter managed to find a few of the replacement parts Rocket needed for the hyperdrive. The core was a long way from being at one hundred percent, but as he worked diligently on the malfunctioning machine, the overall progress pleased Rocket.

Groot just stared at his friend with discontent.

"What do you want me to do, play house and have a tea party with her?!"

Groot nodded. "No! And no means no, Groot!" Rocket waggled an angry finger at the tree man.

"I am Groot."

Rocket only let an exasperated grumble be his reply. "OK, fine! I'll spend some real quality time with Gamora. Oh, and by the way. Just what have the two of you been doing when I send the kid to you?"

Groot smiled and placed a daisy crown atop the raccoon's head. He did it. He took Rocket's snide comment about making flower crowns and actually made them with Gamora!

"I hate you." Rocket muttered nonchalantly.

"I am Groot." The tree responded, smiling once more.

When Gamora heard that the grumpy animal was going to devote his full attention to her, the seven year old was apprehensive.

"You're not pulling my leg now, are you Mr. Rocket?"

"No, and please don't call me 'Mr. Rocket'. Rocket is just fine; I'm not that old."

"OK, Rocket. So, what are we going to do today, then?"

"Since you've been so keen on learning about how things are built, I figured we give this a go."

Rocket pulled out a large box from his storage cabinet and placed it on the workbench. It was a children's construction toy kit. Blowing off the thin layer of dust, he opened the box and pulled out the kit's instruction booklet.

"You're a little too young to be working on weapons, but I saw this at the last port we were at and I immediately thought of you." Rocket explained.

"Wow!" Gamora gasped as she looked at the many metal pieces in the box. "I can make anything I want out of all this stuff?"

"Anything your heart desires! But you might wanna look at this booklet first." Rocket handed the dingy packet to her.

She flipped through the pages, becoming more enthusiastic with the possible inventions the girl could create. Gamora showed Rocket each page, pointing to the ones she wanted to build.

"Then I propose this: let's try to combine them all and see what we get."

"Great idea!" Gamora said with excitement.

For the next few hours, Rocket and his now juvenile team-mate where busy screwing, hammering and drilling all kinds of metal pieces together. Rocket proved to be an excellent instructor to the child; he would show how to piece together the parts with Gamora replicating his instructions perfectly. Groot watched on as the raccoon played with her, smiling and laughing along with the former adult.

When he saw that Rocket and Gamora's crazy contraption was near completion, Groot silently left the workspace to go find Peter and Drax. He managed to locate them in the common room and motioned the two to follow him. When Groot escorted them into Rocket's workroom, Peter and Drax wondered just what in the world Gamora and the furball had been working on.

"Oh, hello Mr. Quill and Mr. Drax." The seven year old greeted them. "Look what Rocket and I have built." She proudly presented the oddly shaped construct to the men.

"It is most impressive." Drax said.

"Is sure is. What does it do?" Peter questioned.

"Gamora, would you do the honors?" Rocket asked her. She nodded and flicked on the switch to the machine.

As the gears turned and clanked, it was clear that they had created a Rube Goldberg machine. A Ping-Pong ball was being carried throughout the complex path as everyone in the room watched the object's journey. The ball landed on a catapult, which then flung the ball into the air. Peter quickly caught the round object in his hand.

"Gotcha!" he said and held up the Ping-Pong ball for everyone to see. "Your little gizmo reminds me of a game I use to play growing up call Mouse Trap. Though I think this machine here just put that game to shame."

"Rocket is a great teacher! I learned all sorts of things from him!" The child stated.

The small animal was actually blushing from being put on the spot. "Aw, come on." Rocket said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Groot let out a low chuckle. It was nice to see his friend receive a compliment from Gamora.

* * *

A few days later, it was clear that everyone was growing restless from being on board the _Milano_ too long. Groot was paying close attention to his team mates' disgruntled attitudes due to cabin fever and made a suggestion. Using the ship's overhead monitor, he brought up a map to a nearby planet that was safe for the vessel to land on. The tree showed Peter, Drax, Gamora and Rocket the lush green world below them.

"You want us to go there?" Peter said, pointing to the monitor.

Groot shook his head yes. He then brought up an info box saying that there were no immediate threats that could harm the group.

"What's so special about this place, Groot?" questioned Drax.

"I am Groot."

"I see. We have been cooped up here for way too long. It'll be good to get outside and stretch our legs." Rocket pointed out. "And you could use some good ol' fashion sunshine and not some sunlamp, buddy."

Groot beamed. While he could survive on artificial light if need be, the tree man enjoyed natural light the most. After all, his physiology was plant-based. Gamora was interested in exploring the vast landscape as much as the men.

"Mr. Groot has shown me many different kinds of flowers and plants since being on the _Milano_. It would be nice to see in their natural environment." The little girl relished in watching Groot produce flowers from his hand and creating all sorts of bouquets and flower trinkets with him.

It was an easy decision; the crew would travel to the surface below. After Peter landed the ship and made sure the air was safe to breath without the use of masks, the heroes exited the vessel. The ship was parked on a cliff and the four men and the youngster looked out from the viewpoint and gazed at the sights before them.

A vast valley lay before their eyes and was covered with not only the greenery from the trees and surrounding shrubbery, but also blanketed with flowers. The flowers where of every shade imaginable, creating a rainbow of color that seemed to stretch out for miles. The planet's twin moons hovered lazily over the sandy pink sky.

It was truly breathtaking, like a painting come to life. No one made a sound as they let the scenery speak for itself.

"It's so beautiful." Gamora quietly said in awe. She was standing next to Peter. Without thinking, she grasped his hand in a gentle grasp.

Peter looked down and smiled. "Is sure is." He told her. The simple gesture the child of holding his hand was sweet and tender and reflected on how much she cared for him. He didn't want the moment to end.

"Mr. Groot. Can we go and see if we can find some of the flowers you showed me earlier?" Gamora said, breaking the moment of reflection at the beauty around them and letting go of Peter's hand.

Groot smiled and motioned her to come to his side. He also let Rocket know that he needed to come with them, as the raccoon was the only one out the galactic heroes that could understand the tree when he spoke. As the three began to walk into the nearby woods, Peter felt a ping of jealousy as he watched the seven year old gleefully leading Groot down the path with Rocket trailing behind them. He secretly wished she had invited him to come along, but knew that he would get his chance to spend time alone with Gamora when the time was right.

Meanwhile in the woods, Rocket watched as the girl and Groot where busy looking at the various flora that was scattered on the ground. He wasn't that interested in botany as much as Groot was, but he did enjoy seeing Gamora happily pointing to the various plants and berries Groot had taught her. With each new flower they encountered, she eagerly picked it and soon had created a giant collection in her little arms.

"I want to take them back to the ship and share them with Mr. Drax and Mr. Quill. I hope they are not allergic to any of these flowers; it would be horrible if I had to leave them behind." The girl said.

"I'm sure those two goofballs can handle a few flowers." Rocket told her. The thought of seeing Peter and Drax having sneezing fits from the bouquet Gamora picked amused him to no end.

A loud rumble was heard above their heads as Rocket, Groot and Gamora looked up at the sky. A sudden thunderstorm was approaching fast! The three hurried back to the _Milano_ as the rain came pouring down on them. As the trio ran to try to beat the rain, Gamora dropped her flowers, but didn't notice as she continued to run against the heavy shower alongside Rocket and Groot. With the rain becoming almost unbearable, Groot summoned the branches of a few nearby trees to form a canopy to shelter the group from the storm.

Shaking off the excess water from his fur, Rocket then radioed Peter and Drax, letting them know that the three where safe.

"We're just gonna wait out the storm. Hopefully it'll pass in no time." Rocket said to Peter over his earpiece.

"If it doesn't, Drax and I will come and get out."

"OK, Rocket out."

A flashy crack of lighting lit up across the sky followed by a large boom of thunder. The former bounty hunter turned to see Gamora trembling against Groot, her hands covering her ears and eyes tightly shut.

"Come on, it's only a little thunder and lightning."

"No." the child whimpered and then shrunk in fear when another clap of thunder roared above.

"Don't tell me you've never been in a thunderstorm before, kid." Rocket said.

"I have!" Gamora snapped at him. "It's just…the noise reminds me of Father bringing me to the hospital."

"The hospital?" Rocket didn't understand the connection the seven year old was making.

"Uh-huh. Whenever Father left me alone with the doctors to do tests on me…some of the machines they used where loud and sounded like the thunder just now."

"Did these tests hurt you?"

"Yes. Sometimes they were so bad I wanted to cry! But Father won't allow it. He says that those who are weak are allowed to cry. I need to be strong; I mustn't cry, even when I'm scared or in pain!"

Rocket and Groot could tell that Gamora wanted to cry. Her green skin began to have a reddish undertone from her forcing herself to hold back the tears and her sobs. Rocket began to feel sorry for the girl. He knew all too well what it was like to feel so helpless, to not be able to express your true feelings to those around you.

"Hey kid." He called to Gamora.

She looked up at the raccoon, her eyes becoming watery and slightly pink as a tear did escape. Rocket walked over to her and got into her lap and told her to put her arms around his damp body in a gentle hug. Cuddling Rocket like a teddy bear, Gamora held him close to her and buried her face into his fur.

"You smell funny." She mumbled as she inhaled the unpleasant odor of wet fur.

"So do you."

The exchange made both Rocket and Gamora laughed slightly as they both of their clothes and bodies were drenched from the rain.

"It's OK to cry. You'll feel better, I promise." Rocket told her.

And she did. Gamora began to cry softly as she tightened her grip on Rocket for comfort. A puff of air escaped from his body and he wanted to tell the youngster to ease her grip, but Rocket held his tongue. He knew that it was better to just let her express her feelings than kept them all bottled up. After she was done shedding tears of sorrow into his fur, the little girl lifted her head and sniffled.

"I do feel better, Rocket." She said.

"I'm glad. You know, I hate going to the hospital too. A long time ago, I was given the same horrible tests that you are given." He explained.

"Is that true?"

"Can you feel the bumps on my back? Those are cybernetic implants to enhance not only my body, but my mind as well. When the doctors inserted them one by one, the pain was so terrible I was almost knocked out!"

The little girl felt several hard metal nodes dotted on Rocket's back. The unnatural feeling of them on his skin made her tense up.

"Don't worry, they don't bother me anymore." The raccoon reassured her. "As I was being cut up and stabbed like a piece of meat, I wanted to cry, shout, do whatever it took to let those assholes know how much pain I was in! But with every attempt I made, they shot me down, telling me I wasn't supposed to act like that. But then Groot here came and rescued me. We've been best friends ever since. I remember he let me know that it was OK to cry, to express my feelings to others."

"Groot said that?" Gamora, like Peter and Drax, had a hard time understanding what the giant tree was saying most of the time. She knew that when he did speak, it was always important, despite his limited vocabulary.

"Yup. By letting others know how you feel, they can better understand where you're coming from…and offer to help you."

The child then looked up at Groot, who gave her a caring, sympathetic grin. He then patted her wet head softly and whipped away a lone tear that appeared once more from her face.

"We are Groot." The alien gently cooed.

"That's right, Groot. All of us are here to cheer you up when you are in pain or scared or just plain down in the dumps, Gamora. The guys and I care about you very much."

Tears started to appear in Gamora's eyes once again. "Thank you. Thank you so very much." She said with acknowledgment as she pressed her tear-stained face into Rocket's fur once more and hugged him. He chuckled as he returned her hug. Even Groot got in on the love fest and wrapped his great, big arms around the small child and raccoon.

* * *

It wasn't long before the thunderstorm ended; it came as quickly as it went. Now that she was in a better mood, the group began their trek back to the spaceship. As they walked down the path, Gamora grabbed a hold of Rocket and Groot's hands and held them into hers. Sensing this, the two former outlaws looked at the girl, who smiled at them both. They smiled back and continued to hold one another's hands as they entered the opening clearing. Peter and Drax where just about to go after them in the woods when they saw the trio walked up to both the thief and the brute.

"Hey now! Look who decided to show up." Peter proclaimed. "Drax and I where gonna be the dashing heroes and come to rescue you three."

"Save the heroics for later, Quill." Rocket quipped. "The kid and I are soaked to the bone and in need of a hot shower and some dry clothes."

"I can see that." Drax commented. "I will go make something warm for the both of you to drink; we can't have the little one catching a cold."

"Sounds good to me."

"How about I show you how to make hot chocolate, Drax?" Peter offered. "When I was a kid, a hot cup of cocoa always warmed me up on cold days, especially in the winter."

"What is hot chocolate?"

The aliens looked at Peter for an explanation about what the Terran beverage was. The thief had a spirited grin on his face. "Then you all are in for a treat!" he joyfully cried and hurried everyone onto the Milano.

As Rocket and Gamora took turns cleaning up, Peter began his impromptu cooking class with Groot and Drax at the fine art of making hot chocolate. After a few missteps when making the recipe and one spilled mug of the beverage later, the group sat down at the table and had their first ever cup of hot chocolate.

"So…what does everyone think?" Peter said after the aliens took their first sip of the frothy drink.

"It's good!" Gamora cheered, raising her mug in glee.

"You're lucky chocolate doesn't kill me, thanks to my advance digestive system. But I do like it." Rocket added and licked his muzzle clean of the remaining chocolate.

"It is quite tasty. I would very much like another cup." Drax commented, smiling.

"I am Groot." the tall tree man said, letting a goofy smile show on his wooden face.

"Another round, coming up!" Peter announced as he set another kettle of water on the stove to boil.

After refilling their mugs with hot cocoa, the heroes spent the rest of the evening swapping stories and enjoying each others company. Gamora looked at the four adults and recalled back to her conversation with Rocket and Groot in the woods. While she knew that Thanos was stop at nothing to mold her into his ideal image of the perfect living weapon, the youngster was enjoying her time with the galactic heroes. And just like Rocket said, if Gamora was ever feeling down, they would be there to make her feel better. An important lesson she will never surely forget.


	5. Chapter 5

Music always played an important role in Peter's life. No more proof was that than the man's beloved Walkman cassette player and tape deck in the _Milano_. Peter had a song to fit every mood. He had songs that made him happy, songs that made him feel better when he was down (and most importantly, songs that were perfect when he was indulging in his inner playboy). If he wasn't a former thief and a current Guardian of the Galaxy, the Terran could have been an intergalactic disk jockey, happily sharing the wonders of music throughout the far corners of space!

His team mates knew about the deep connection that their leader had to music, specifically the cassette tapes called _Awesome Mix Vol. 1_ and _2_. Those collections of songs from the 1970s and 1980s held a special place in Peter's heart; they were the songs his late mother loved to listen to before she passed away from cancer. It also served as a reminder of his humble beginnings from Earth, a way for Peter to reconnect with his childhood. Drax, Rocket and Groot knew all the songs by heart and even enjoyed the strange noises from the many musicians coming from the speakers of the spaceship.

But what was once a wonderful activity that the team had used to bond over was now a source of annoyance for the aliens. Growing tired of hearing the same songs on repeat for days on end, Peter's friends sat him down and expressed their newly formed dislike of the tapes.

"I know they mean a lot to you, Peter. But I can say for all of us that we've had it up to here listening to _Awesome Mix Vol. 1_ and _2_ over and over…" Rocket said.

"I must agree with friend Rocket. I long to hear other types of music." added Drax.

"I am Groot." said Groot, frowning.

"But the radio sucks, big time!" whined Peter. When he wasn't in the mood to use the ship's tape deck or his Walkman, Peter would turn on the radio and scan through the stations to find music as good as his tapes. More often than not, the music was disappointing and udder crap.

"Don't care. If I have to hear that Jackson 5 song one more time…BLAM! The tape deck is dead!" Rocket shouted as he mimicked firing a gun at the music player.

"If you so much as touch my cassette player, furball." Peter threatened the raccoon, shaking a balled up fist at the small animal.

"Perhaps we can find an alternate solution. Do you have any other tapes we can listen to?" Drax suggested.

"Not really. Whatever I had got destroyed when the first Milano was blown-up during our fight with Ronan."

So an agreement wasn't met. While the other men continued to suffer through another play through of _Awesome Mix Vol. 1_, the young Gamora was not at all bothered the soundtrack. The little girl was captivated by Peter's interesting method of listening to music.

"This is such old technology. It's amazing!" she said as the child sat on Peter's bed looking at the vintage tape deck as it played the cassette.

"I'm glad I found someone who appreciates my music as much as I do." The thief said, directing his displeasure to the others.

"Can you play that song about falling in love again? That is my favorite one from _Vol. 1_." Gamora requested.

Peter smiled and fast forward the tape to "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop. As the classic blues jam came out of the speakers, Peter remembered that when he first met the elder Gamora, this was the first song he let her listen to from his Walkman. It was also the first time that his swagger didn't charm the pants off a woman. The romantic moment between the then active assassin and thief was cut short when Gamora came to her senses and shoved Peter away, all while spitting hateful comments at him.

While his horndog side was upset he didn't get to bed the sexy woman, Peter later realized that when the adult Gamora didn't accept his sexual advances, it made the Terran develop a true attraction to her. The woman's bold, straight-forward personality made Peter rightfully want to earn her hand and heart.

For now, Peter watched as the seven year old swayed slightly to the beat, her eyes closed and a smile on her face from the joy of the music being played. Seeing her happy was the only thing that mattered to him now, though fixing the hyperdrive was important too.

* * *

The _Milano_ docked at another trading post several days later to refuel and restock supplies. Before he left, Peter checked the list of parts that the machine stilled needed to be fixed and working once more. It appeared that only two parts where left to find and the port the heroes where now at had them in stock!

He volunteered to go search for them and took Gamora with him. As the two made their way to where the mechanic's stall was located in the markets, the little girl's attention was drawn to another tent that displayed an assortment of mismatched electronics.

"Peter, look! I see a cassette player like yours on the ship."

Peter hated when Gamora called him by his surname and told her it was fine to use his first name when the youngster needed to address him. Gamora liked this new moniker, as it deepened the thief and the girl's bond with one another. He even suggested that "Pete" was OK too, but the girl's strict upbringing from Thanos made sure she was always on her best behavior.

"Really?" He caught a glimpse at the stereo that Gamora was pointing at. Peter's eyes widened in surprise and gasped with joy. It wasn't just a normal tape deck: it was a double cassette tape deck! They were extremely rare to come by and Peter had always wanted one. The purpose of the double tape deck was not only the ability to play two cassettes, but you could also create your own mix tapes by recording from one tape to another!

The man sped over to the tent so fast that the little girl almost lost sight of him! She was able to catch up with Peter just as he reached the store counter.

"How much for the double tape deck?!" Peter exclaimed, nearly frightening the seller to death due to his excitement.

"My, my! Aren't we an excitable boy!" the alien merchant proclaimed as he adjusted his four-spectacle glasses on his squash-shaped head in order to read the price tag. "I'm currently selling this Terran artifact for…160,000 credits."

Peter huffed in irritation. "Forget it! That's way outta my price range! Unless we can make a deal of some sort." He let a sly look appear on his face. One of the benefits of being raised by a group of thieves was that it developed Peter's talent for having a way with words; a silver tongue was needed when it came to bartering and trading for goods and essential for surviving out in the seedier parts of space.

The dark tangerine alien grinned with delight at the game Peter had introduced before him. "Ah, I can see you are playing hardball with me now. Perhaps I can offer some speakers to go along with the machine for 150,500 credits."

"Nah. I already have speakers. Got anything else?"

"Surely there is something in my booth that has sparked your interest, good sir." The seller then saw the juvenile Gamora standing next to Peter. "Is there anything the young lady here likes?"

Gamora scanned the merchant's booth and saw a black briefcase near where the tape deck was. "What's in the case?" she inquired.

The merchant pulled back the clasps and opened the case so that both Peter and the girl could see what was inside. It was filled with many different Terran cassette tapes by various musical groups and artists from the 1970s, 80s and even the 1990s. This was perfect to solve the tension between Peter and his team mates' concerns about the music situation on the spaceship!

"Peter, I want this!" Gamora told him as she looked over the tapes with interest.

"A fine choice!" the salesman said. He then calculated the prices of the both the tape deck and cassette collection. "My offer for both items is 150,300 credits."

"How can I be sure you're not ripping me off and selling me cheap knock-offs? Can you play one of the tapes for us?" Peter demanded.

"I am a man of my word and assure you that my merchandise is one hundred percent authentic Terran." The merchant was trying to weasel out of showing the authenticity of the dated technology.

"Then the deal's off. No proof, no credits." Peter glared at the nerdy, pudgy alien as he crossed his arms over his chest. Gamora followed suit and had the same annoyed expression as Peter.

The oily smile disappeared from the salesman's face. "As you wish."

He set up the tape deck and hooked up the speakers he tried to sell Peter before. When the machine powered up, the alien selected a tape from the case and placed it into the music player. Upon pressing the play button, the stereo began to play back "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon in crystal clear sound. Smiling, this was more than enough proof for Peter that the objects where working properly. The merchant then stopped the tape and turned to the Terran once more.

"Are you still interested in this old technology?"

"You better believe it! Name your price!"

"Like I said; 150,300 credits."

"Can't you go any lower? I gotta eat, ya know." Peter pointed out.

"So do I! I can lower the price to 140,950 for both items and that's it."

Peter didn't want to give into temptation. He really didn't need the double tape deck, but the briefcase of cassette tapes where worth this detour in search of the hyperdrive components. Plus, a quick glance saw a few albums that made Peter reminisce of home. Just as he was about to make an offer for the tape collection, Gamora spoke.

"If you throw in that weirdly shaped box and those bulky tapes, you got a deal!"

"What are you doing?!" Peter hissed at the child. "That VCR costs just as much as the tape deck!"

"I'm trying my hand at having a silver-colored tongue like you, Peter." Gamora explained. "Plus, I am a kid after all; maybe I can get you a lower price." She gave him a playful wink.

The hero felt a stress headache coming on and rubbed his temples. The last thing Peter wanted to do was spend extra money when it wasn't necessary. He still needed to have some money left over to buy those hyperdrive core parts!

The seller saw that the little girl wanted to include the VCR and several video tapes in their purchase.

"I like this little girl's gusto!" the man laughed in amusement. "Your new total is an even 150,000 credits."

"140,500!" Gamora told the merchant.

"140,550." The alien countered.

"140,525."

Peter could only watch in shock as the juvenile former assassin was trading prices with the dorky, fat salesman. When a few more numbers were bounced back and forth, the alien burst out laughing once more.

"Oh, I haven't had this fun bartering over money in years! Your daughter will make an excellent trader someday, sir!"

"Uh, thank you?" said Peter, still unsure of what to make of the situation that had just happened.

"Alright, I give in. 120,350 credits for the Terran tape deck and cassette collection, plus the video player and video tapes."

"Is that a fair price, Peter?" the child asked him.

It was better than fair, it was a steal! "Sold!" he said and handed the merchant the credits.

"Thank you for your purchase! Have a pleasant day!" the salesman said as he waved them good-bye when Peter and Gamora left the tent.

Peter was carrying the double tape deck and VCR with Gamora holding onto a shopping bag that contained the video and cassette tapes.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed, Gamora. You handled bartering with that geeky salesman nicely!"

"Thank you. Is my tongue silver now?" the little girl asked, sticking her pink appendage out at Peter.

He laughed. "No, sweetie. When I say that you have a silver tongue, it means you are good with words and their meanings. Your actual tongue doesn't turn the color silver."

Gamora giggled. "It would be rather silly to have a silver-colored tongue, I like my tongue the way it is." She stated and smiled at the man.

* * *

When they arrived back at the _Milano_, the rest of the guardians had just returned from running their own errands when Peter presented the double tape deck to them.

"What in the hell did you buy now, Peter?!" Rocket yelled at how extremely happy the thief was over his find.

"I've been looking for one of these for a long time. Gentlemen, may I present the double cassette tape deck!"

"Great, more ways to annoy us with your crappy mix tapes…" the raccoon grumbled.

"But there's more! I did a good job bartering and got this too!" the youngster pulled out the briefcase from her shopping bag and opened it up to show all the cassette tapes inside.

"Finally! Something other than your over-played tapes Pete!" the small animal proclaimed, very much relieved at the possible new music he could enjoy listening to.

"We also got something called 'VCR' that plays video tapes." Gamora also said. "I wonder if we can connect it to the monitor?"

"I don't think so, but I think Rocket has something in his workshop that could work." Peter reminded his friend of the old TV set that they fished out of a junk pile during a mission awhile back. The TV still worked and Rocket wanted it for spare parts (if he could find anything compatible with the dated electronics the TV was made out of). But now that they had acquired a VCR, that old TV set could be hooked up to it.

Drax carried the heavy bulky object from Rocket's workshop and placed it on the circled table in the common room. After successfully connecting the VCR to the TV and into a compatible electrical outlet, Peter turned on the TV set and the VCR. The screen popped on and showed a snowy channel and hummed a low feedback noise.

"Now to turn to Channel 3 and insert a video tape and we're good to go!" He prided himself at the very common knowledge any child of the 1980s knew. Peter let the little girl pick a video tape to play in the VCR and pushed the play button after loading the tape into the video player.

The group made themselves comfortable on the couch as the video began to play. On the TV screen, a woman with big, pastel pink hair dressed in garish clothing from the decade of Peter's childhood appeared and was singing with her equally, horribly dressed band mates at a rock concert to a sold-out crowd.

"Jem is truly outrageous/Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous!" the female voice over sang over the cartoon.

"You can say that again." Rocket quipped as his squinted his eyes in study at the over the top designs of the characters. "And this is what you used to watch as a kid on Terra, Pete?"

"No way! I liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thundercats, not this girly crap!"

"QUIET!" Gamora angrily scolded at Peter and Rocket. "I want to watch Jem and see why she is 'truly outrageous'!"

"Yes, just how outrageous this brightly colored woman and her companions are has yet to be seen." Drax added, becoming invested in the 1985 cartoon as much as his young team-mate was.

"I am Groot." The tall tree said.

As Drax, Groot and Gamora continued to watch the video; Rocket asked Peter if he remembered to go buy the hyperdrive core parts. The thief's nervous look was more than enough proof for the raccoon that the man had completely forgotten to look for them. With a hard smack to Peter's skull, Rocket demanded his get his ass in gear and go back to the markets and buy the parts before all the store closed for the night.

"Alright, Alright. Chill the fuck out, furball." Peter said sternly as he dashed out the door. When he returned to the spaceship with the last replacements for the core, Peter tossed the bag containing them so harshly at Rocket with such force that it almost knocked the cranky animal over!

"There, happy now?!"

"Very. Thank you very much, Quill." Rocket said; straightening his vest before marching off to the engine room.

Peter scowled over just how smug Rocket had acted just now. Still, the mangy critter should be happy now that he had the final pieces to fix the malfunction core. Suddenly, a new worry entered Peter's thoughts. Once Rocket had all the replacement parts in the hyperdrive, how long was it going to be before they could use it and get Gamora back to her normal self?


	6. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had fun picking which artists/songs/albums the Guardians of the Galaxy would listen to in this chapter! In a sense, the bands and songs mentioned here (and in the previous chapter; Warren Zevon) would be on my own personal "Awesome Mix" :)

* * *

Peter and Rocket where sitting up at the kitchen table in the galley mulling over coffee. It was late, really late. Everyone had gone to bed except the two of them. The man and raccoon had been discussing the current state of the hyperdrive core. Now that Rocket had all the replacement parts to properly repair the malfunctioning core, it was safe to say that it would be fixed in no time, right?

"But I thought progress was going well." said Peter.

"I thought so too. But I hit a bit of a snag. I keep getting error messages every time I run a diagnostics check. So I tweak something here, tighten something there; error message pops up." Rocket explained. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, hoping to keep the need for sleep at bay. "We may have hit a bump in the road, but I'll figure it out in no time."

"I know you will." Peter knew that no matter the challenge at hand, the raccoon's spunky determination always overcame it. The thief noticed the animal's tired expression and urged him to hit the hay.

"Hey buddy, get some sleep, will ya? You're in no condition to work on that hyperdrive now."

"You're right, Quill." Rocket yawned. "And then it's back to square one tomorrow. See ya in the morning."

Rocket then went to his bunk, leaving Peter by himself. He put the dirty coffee cups in the sink and retired for the night himself.

The next morning, Peter was busy installing the double cassette tape deck he purchased. While he worked, he kept an eye on the seven year old Gamora. The girl had been obsessively watching the video tapes on the VCR Peter also bought the day he scored the tape deck. Luckily for him, the merchant from whom originally had the vintage machine had copies of various cartoons and other all-ages movies on the video cassettes. Gamora's favorite by far was the _Jem and the Holograms_ tape. She had developed Peter's love of any form of music and the Terran would often catch the little girl singing and dancing along to the cartoon.

Peter thought about what the elder Gamora had said when he and she talked about dancing.

"I'm a warrior, an assassin. I don't dance." The woman stated.

"But dancing is the most wonderful thing in the world." Peter had said, to which Gamora scoffed.

The irony of seeing his now juvenile team-mate having a blast dancing to the cheesy 1980s music amused Peter to no end. When she finished watching _Jem_, the girl went over to the adult who was busy hooking up the wires into the _Milano_'s sound system.

"Peter, the video tape is done." Gamora told him and then noticed that the double tape deck was almost done being installed. "Is that cassette player ready now?"

"In a minute it will be, Gamora. Say, how about you go and pick out one of the new tapes we bought to play in our new, and vastly improved, music player."

"OK!"

She rushed over to where the briefcase of cassette tapes were stored and pulled it out. After opening the case, the child pondered over which tape to pick. Gamora would pull out a cassette case, look at the title and album artwork and then put it back when she didn't like it.

Peter had finished installing the tape deck when Gamora held up her choice.

"This one, Peter. I like the strange flying horse on the cover." The cassette the youngster picked was _Book of Dreams_ by The Steve Miller Band.

"Excellent choice." Peter said and placed the tape into the player and hit the play button.

The sounds of guitar licks and solos filled the air as the song "Jet Airliner" began to play. Peter began to nod his head to the beat, followed by clapping and singing along to the song. Soon Gamora began to sing along Peter and the two soon were swept up in the chorus about flying in an airplane all over the world.

The man and child where so engrossed in their impromptu sing-along that they didn't notice Drax, Rocket and Groot staring at them as they belted out the classic rock song. Peter noticed this team mates watching him and Gamora. He stopped singing, as did the girl.

"Oh, uh, didn't notice you the three of you there…" he said after being caught off-guard and turned down the volume.

"Nice to see that your new toy works." taunted Rocket. "And I must say that you have a lovely singing voice." Peter just gave a smirk at the raccoon.

"I did enjoy this song about being on a large plane. Did you choose this music, Peter?" said Drax.

"I did. Mr. Drax." Gamora told the brute raising her hand.

"I can see that Peter has passed his love of music onto you, little one. A fine choice you have made!"

An idea came to the little girl and she announced what it was to the four men. "I say that we all pick a tape and take turns playing them. That way, we can find out what everyone likes."

"Splendid! I am curious what other Terran music your world has to offer." Drax said to Peter, who liked the idea too.

"I'm in. How about you Groot?" Rocket asked the tree.

"I am Groot."

For the next few weeks, the heroes picked an album to listen in its entirety. The collection of cassettes was certainly an eclectic mix and it was made clear with each of the guardians' choices.

Rocket had chosen 10cc's self-titled debut album, mostly due to being somewhat familiar with the group thanks to Peter. The raccoon was the least likely to admit he liked any type of music, but secretly enjoyed the song "Rubber Bullets". At first, no one knew about his guilty pleasure. Peter had accidentally discovered Rocket's love for the tongue in cheek song one day when he was minding his own business.

The thief had been busy preparing Gamora's lunch and needed to run into the storage room to get a new jar of peanut butter. As Peter passed the open door to Rocket's workspace, the man saw the critter bopping along to the song he was singing.

"Load up/Load up/Load up/With rubber bullets." Rocket happily sang as he was actually reloading a gun he'd been repairing.

It was an odd sight, seeing the normally pissy space raccoon gleefully enjoying 1970s pop-rock music. Peter watched Rocket for a bit before clearing his throat, alerting his friend.

"Oh, Peter! I, uh—cough—didn't notice you there." The former bounty hunter said, startled.

"So the grumpy raccoon does like my music." Peter grinned devilishly. He had backed him in a corner with no escape!

Rocket sheepishly admitted the truth. "Some of it is actually pretty good. Like that 'Rubber Bullets' song; give me an idea on developing a new type of ammo."

"Interesting…Just don't use my elemental gun during beta testing and we're good." Peter said.

Poor Drax had terrible luck when it came to choosing albums from the tape briefcase. The brute had first chosen the Bee Gees, only to be met with the brothers' high-pitched vocals to the disco beats. Drax struck out again when he played The B-52s. At first, he liked the harmonies of the new-wave group's two female singers.

"They have the most heavenly voices I have ever heard!" he gushed.

Then "Rock Lobster" came on and crushed Drax's love for the group. The song's chorus of odd noises and screeches made everyone on the _Milano_ cover their ears! It was safe to say that Drax wasn't allowed to pick any music for a while.

Thankfully, it was Groot that saved the day! After the debacle of Drax and The B-52s, the tree man picked something a little closer to what Peter had introduced the aliens to. As the album _Rumours_ by Fleetwood Mac played from the cassette player, the songs smoothly transitioned from one another in perfect coherence.

Groot smiled and started to dance when "Don't Stop" came on. As the 1977 tune swelled to the catchy chorus, Peter got the group to sing along with him as he played air guitar along with the music. Gamora grabbed a stunned Rocket by his paws and twirled him around with her as Drax nodded his head and tapped his foot along to the beat.

In that moment, the little girl had forgotten all of her troubles. Gone was the loneliness of missing her adoptive family. Gone was the sadness from being in both physical and mental pain from Thanos' harsh training and tests. Those negative thoughts were replaced by the positive outlook of the song as Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot sang and danced along with Gamora. The child didn't want this feeling of being loved and accepted to never end!

* * *

It was very late and Peter was having a bought of insomnia. The ship was eerily quiet at this time of night. He sat at the pilot's chair, gazing out at the vast void of space. The thief did admit that there was a certain beauty to it. Peter saw that the blackened sky was dotted with billions of stars with clouds of gas in bright hues splashed in various patterns. The clusters of rocks and debris added the last touch to the scenery that lay before his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, relaxing and felt at peace.

The Walkman in Peter's lap was playing Tears for Fears. He wasn't sure if he was going to enjoy the group; Peter already had a bad experience with 1980s new wave no thanks to Drax. But he was pleasantly surprised by the English band. There was a certain calmness that the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" had, despite it was a rather grim song lyrically. He couldn't help but think of the group's fight with the late Ronan as he listened to the tune; how ironic.

In the reflection from the panels above the steering wheel, Peter caught a glimpse of Gamora quietly entering the room. Pushing the stop button on the Walkman, he removed his headphones and turned to the little girl. Her hair was messy and her tank top pajama set was wrinkled from tossing and turning in bed.

"Hey you. Can't sleep, Gamora?"

"Yeah. Can I stay up with you for a while, Peter?"

The Terran motioned Gamora to sit in his lap. She promptly did. The two stared out at the stars, appreciating the beauty before them.

"There are so many stars. I wonder if I'll be able to travel all over the galaxy like you and the rest of the Guardians and visit them all." The girl said.

"You will, I know it." Peter replied.

The child leaned against him and saw the Walkman in his hand. "Can I try on your portable cassette player? I see you wear it all the time."

Peter nodded and gently placed the orange headphones on the little girl's head. After rewinding the tape back a bit, he hit play and let Gamora listen. From the muffled feedback from the headphones, the song Peter was listening to before had started up again. Gamora was at first confused by the song, but as the tune continued, the seven year old relaxed and cuddled against Peter's chest. She was starting to grow sleepy as her eyes started to droop from exhaustion.

In four minutes, the song ended and the child hit the stop button on the Walkman. Peter removed the headphones and looked down at her.

"Did you like the song?"

"It was nice." She told him in a dreamy voice. "It was fun listening to your Walkman. Thank you."

"No problem. You can listen to it any time you like; just ask."

Gamora smiled. "Tell me a story. You always tell the best stories, Peter."

Along with the gift of introducing her to great music, the former adult loved it when Peter told Gamora bedtime stories. The hero enjoyed retelling the films of his childhood to the little girl.

"Which one would you like to hear? How about the legend of Kevin Bacon?" the man asked.

"No." Gamora said.

"The tale of The Goonies?"

"I heard that one last night."

"What about the one with the three boys who built a spaceship and explored the galaxy?"

"Nah."

Peter was trying to recall any other movies, but he was at a loss. An idea came to him.

"Then I bet you never heard the story of the Lord and the Warrior Princess."

Gamora shook her head no. "I want to hear that one!" She settled against Peter once more as the former thief began to tell the girl his on-the-fly story.

"Once upon a time, there was this princess who was a great warrior. She had been trained all of her life by her father the king to be feared by all. For as long as she could remember, the princess had fought against so many that she had developed a reputation just as terrible as her father. One day, the Warrior Princess met a lord who did not fear her. He was just as skilled as she and the princess did not like that very much."

"So the Lord and her battled for many days and nights, trying to outdo each other. The Lord soon discovered that the princess had a terrible secret: she had been cursed to not to fall in love. If she fell in love, the princess would lose her powers and turn to dust."

"And was there a way to remove the curse?" Gamora asked Peter.

"Of course! This is a fairy tale after all. Anyway, the only way for the curse to be removed was for the Warrior Princess to dance with her true love. But when you are feared by all, no one, not even a commoner or fellow royal would dare tell the princess his feelings for her. The Lord knew this, but chose to ignore the warnings. For you see, he had fallen in love with the princess."

"Did the princess know about the Lord's feelings for her?"

"Indeed! She would tell him awful things as they battled each other. But the princess soon realized that she was falling in love with the Lord. The curse was on her and she was given a week to reverse it or be turned to dust! The Lord offered an invitation to a ball that was being held in his honor. If the Lord and the Warrior Princess danced with one another before the end of the week, then the princess was saved and allowed to marry her true love."

Peter heard the sound of heavy breathing and looked down at his lap. Gamora was sound asleep, snuggling against him. He smiled and gently picked her up. He carried the sleeping child to her room and tucked her into bed. Peter turned to leave when he heard the little girl stir slightly. With a sleepy glare, Gamora spoke.

"Did the princess and the Lord live happily ever after?"

"You know, I'm not sure." the hero said quietly. "What do you think?"

"They did." The girl said in a sleepy voice and dozed off once more.

_If only that was true._ Peter thought sadly to himself. While the tale he had told the child was make –believe, the man knew there was some truth behind the story. He was the Lord in the tale that fell in love with the Warrior Princess…the elder Gamora. But whether or not the woman knew of his feelings for her had yet to be seen…or even if she loved Peter like he loved her.


	7. Chapter 7

_All for freedom and for pleasure_

_Nothing ever lasts for ever_

Those haunting lyrics from the Tears for Fears song didn't resonate with the crew and certainly not for Peter at first. They were not only doing what they do best (saving the galaxy) but also taking care of the juvenile ex-assassin to worry about such things. Gamora had begun to see the men as her extended family; Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot loved spending time with the seven year old. The group was truly a loving family unit. But as the 1985 hit song stated, for all the pleasures that came with bonding with the now young Gamora, it wasn't meant to last.

* * *

It was what Peter called a "lazy Sunday" kind of day. When Drax asked his leader what he meant, the Terran explained that it was when you just bummed around and did nothing important.

And that's what the group was doing just that: being sluggish and taking it easy. Peter was napping on his bed, snoring peacefully. Rocket had been working on the hyperdrive, but he let his laziness take over. Besides, that core was nearing one hundred percent and the raccoon was just twirling his screwdriver around like a baton to pass the time.

Groot was sunning himself contentedly by the window. The _Milano_ was near a sun-like star, so the tree had drawn the protective shade and happily soaking up the warm rays. Groot noticed Rocket holding a bowl of warm water and was leading the little girl to where Peter was sleeping.

"You wanna see a cool prank to play on someone?" Rocket said to the child, snickering.

"Sure!" Gamora liked how impish the small animal was being and eagerly followed him.

The raccoon and the girl tip-toed up to the sleeping hero. Rocket giggled in glee at what he was about to do. He was gingerly lowering the bowl of water when Peter whacked it clear out of the animal's paws! A surprised Rocket stood still as the bowl spilled its contents all over the floor.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Ranger Rick. That prank is child's play." Peter opened his eyes and grinned at Rocket.

Rocket glared at the Terran and walked off in defeat. Gamora looked confused, not understanding why the prank failed.

"That little critter wanted to make me wet my pants by placing my hand in warm water while I was sleeping." Peter explained.

"That's stupid!" the girl said.

"I agree. Now, back to my nap." Peter said and rolled over on the bed.

Groot had cleaned up the puddle of water as Rocket was scolding the tree man for attempting to drink the liquid that fell on the floor.

"Groot! That's dirty!" he yelled, but his friend still lapped it up.

With the prank failing, it was quiet once more. Peter napped, Groot sunning himself. Gamora was busy getting her hair braided by Drax, who had mentioned that his daughter loved it when his late wife styled the child's hair. As the brute was combing and fixing up her hair, the seven year old was looking at some old children's magazines. Rocket was busy munching on some fried popcorn shrimp (his favorite food) as he relaxed on the opposite side of Peter's bunk. He had picked 10cc once again and the laid-back vibe of "The Things We Do for Love" filled the air, complimenting the overall, easy-going tone of the "lazy Sunday".

The peace was soon cut short when the overhead monitor flashed red.

"Hey Quill, you got a message." Rocket said to the sleeping man.

Peter snorted, then moaned in his sleep and rolled over. The raccoon sighed and started throwing the shrimp at Peter, hoping to awaken the thief from his slumber. He was throwing them pretty hard, the fried shrimp bounced off Peter's head. Finally after one landed in his eye, the Terran awoke.

"What the hell?!"

"The monitor's all lit up. You got an incoming message, Sleeping Beauty." Rocket told him.

The hero grumbled and rubbed the sleep (and shrimp) out of his eyes. Peter hit the button to accept the message, wondering who was trying to reach him. When he found out who it was, it was the last person Peter expected it to be.

"Well, well. I finally found you, Petie-boy!"

"Yondu." He said the name bitterly.

On the monitor was a blue-skin man with a red Mohawk and wearing a weseally grin on his face. Behind his chair was the rest of Yondu's band of mercenaries, all watching as well. Rocket and Groot realized who the man was and stood next to Peter. Drax followed with a cautious Gamora hiding behind the brute. She poked her little head out from behind Drax, wondering who this Yondu was and how he knew the guardians.

"What do you want?" Peter asked his former mentor coldly.

"Hey now! That's not the way you greet your former caretaker now! But since you asked, I still haven't forgotten about that little switcheroo you pulled back on Xandar."

Yondu pulled out the neon orange-haired Troll doll and showed it to Peter and his crew. During the group's battle against Ronan over the Infinity Stone, Peter had promised Yondu the object but was given the ugly doll instead. That stupid toy was the Terran's way of sending his regards and Yondu found himself entertained by the gesture at the time.

"I let you have your time in the sun as the hero, so I've decided to track you down and make good on my word about killing you, Peter."

"Please!" the former thief huffed. "I've got more important matters to deal with than dealing with you and your clan of Smurf-wannabes."

"Well, judging from what I saw earlier today, it looks like you and your merry band of do-gooders have all the time in the world." Yondu said.

Peter realized that the bandit had been monitoring them all this time. "Big Brother is watching…"

"Indeed, Peter." The mercenary smiled coolly. Yondu's attention was then drawn to the little girl hidden behind Drax. "And what's this? Step out where I can see you." He directed Gamora.

The little girl ducked out of sight and shivered in fear.

"She is none of your concern, Yondu." Drax said to the man.

"If it has something to do with Petie here, then it is my concern! Now, let me see the kid…or else."

Peter wanted to avoid fighting with Yondu as much as possible. He nodded to Gamora, who then stepped forward nervously. The bandit leader studied the seven year old in her red and pink floral dress, wondering just who this child was to Peter and his friends.

"Now this is interesting…" he mused, smiling. "I don't know where that green-skinned vixen of yours is now Peter, but I can clearly see that you are following in my footsteps. Ain't she just the sweetest thing!"

"I am not like you, Yondu! I'm not a kidnapper!" Peter harshly stated.

"It doesn't matter. Just because you've got a kid on board your ship doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you, boy. And just because I still have a soft spot for you, I'll give you a head's start. You've got five minutes!" Yondu then ended the transmission.

"Shit!" Peter cursed. He turned to the aliens. "Alright, let's make every minute count. Rocket, get the guns and shields ready; it's gonna get ugly real fast. Drax, you'll be my main lookout for when that creep tries anything. Groot, protect Gamora at all costs!"

As the men prepared for their upcoming fight with Yondu, the seven year old was afraid. She didn't want any of the men to get hurt, let alone be killed by the scary blue man with the Southern accent.

"Peter…I'm scared." The girl whispered.

The man bent down and pulled out his Walkman and handed it to Gamora.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. We will all make sure nothing happens to you, Gamora. Now, I want you to grab that mix tape we made together and pop it in my cassette player. Be sure to blast the volume real loud to block out the noise; that way, you won't be scared."

Gamora nodded and rushed to her bunk and grabbed the mix tape. When Peter was going through the briefcase of cassette tapes one day, he discovered that a few where blank. Using one of the blank tapes, he and Gamora created her very own mix tape. The child was excited that she had her own "Awesome Mix" just like Peter.

When the girl returned with the tape, Peter quickly buckled her in a passenger's chair next to Groot. After checking to make sure her straps where secure, Gamora grabbed the hero's hand.

"Peter." She said; her face full of worry.

"Be strong, Gamora." He told her and gave the little girl a comforting hug.

"I will." She then inserted her cassette into Peter's music player and slipped on the headphones over her head. She hit play and gave Peter thumbs up. He returned the gesture and hopped right into the pilot's chair.

"All systems go?" he asked Rocket.

"All green. Let's rock!"

The Terran nodded and turned on the communications channel on the radio. "Yondu, this is Quill. If you're ready to get your ass handed to you, give the word." Peter spoke.

A wicked laugh came out of the speaker. "That's the spirit!" Yondu cheered and commenced the attack on the _Milano_.

Peter thrust the spaceship forward and sped ahead. Rocket began to fire at Yondu's ship, which in turn dodged the bullets with ease and fired back. Suddenly, a loud smack was heard on the radio, followed by some men yelling.

"What's going on?!" Yondu bellowed back at his crew.

"Those assholes breached our ship's hull with…rubber bullets?"

"Rubber?!" The mercenary leader shrieked. "Just who in their right mind uses rubber bullets?!"

"This guy!" Rocket cackled in victory of directly hitting the enemy ship.

Peter chuckled at the raccoon's invention based off the 10cc song of the same name.

"Give'em hell boys!" Yondu shouted and whooped in delight.

The fight was a game of cat and mouse. The two spaceships fired at one another, missing some and landing some at one another. As the _Milano_ danced across the open space, Groot kept his eye on the girl. Gamora gripped the cassette player as she mouthed whatever song she was listening to help ease her fear. The tree tapped her on the arm and the child looked up at him. Groot smiled sympathetically at her and took her hand into his. Gamora smiled back at Groot and tightened her grasp on his hand.

Drax kept his eyes on Yondu's ship, alerting Peter and Rocket when the band of thieves launched or fired at the _Milano_. The brute caught a glimpse of a rather large firearm being lowered. The weapon was on a countdown as it was charging up.

"Peter! Yondu has some sort of massive cannon aimed directly at us!"

"What?! Rocket, aim at that over-compensating piece of crap, NOW!"

The raccoon swung his gun at the enemy ship but it was too late. Yondu fired the cannon and made a direct hit! The _Milano_ shook so hard that it nearly sent everyone flying out of their seats! However, the cassette player in Gamora's hand flew out and onto the floor.

"The Walkman!" she cried and unbuckled herself out of her chair.

Groot tried to stop the little girl but another violent shake from the ship caused him to miss her. The girl lost her footing and fell. She shrieked so loud as she began to slide down toward the rear of the spaceship that it caught Peter's attention.

"Gamora! Rocket, take over! Drax, get to the gun station and blow shit up!" Peter commanded as he got up from his chair.

The small animal saluted his leader and leapt into the pilot's chair as Drax slide into the gunman's helm. Peter quickly slid toward where the seven year old had landed. Pulling her close, the ex-thief held the child in a secure embrace.

"Gamora, are you hurt?"

"I'm OK. I just wanted to get your tape player. I know how much it means to you…" the girl said and showed Peter that the music player was safely cradled in her hand.

"My Walkman doesn't matter! You're worth more than some piece of Terran technology!" he sincerely told her.

"You really mean that?' Gamora asked.

"With all my heart." he replied, giving her a heart-filled smile.

"Peter, Yondu's getting ready to blast us again!" Rocket called out.

"Say good night, Star-Lord!" the bandit hollered.

"Rocket. How's that hyperdrive doing?" Peter inquired.

"Peter, are you insane?! That damn thing isn't even working at full capacity and you wanna hyper jump?!"

'It's the only way not to get blown up by Yondu's cannon!" he yelled back.

"Fine! But don't blame me if you get turned to dust or somethin'." The bounty hunter muttered as he began to increase speed to activate the hyper jump.

As they continued to fire at Yondu's ship and build speed, Peter hugged Gamora tighter. He wasn't sure what would happen to the little girl once the _Milano_ entered hyper jump again. He dreaded the worst case scenario: that Gamora would cease to exist…just like in the story he told the child a long time ago. No! Peter refused to let that cloud his judgment!

The girl noticed Peter's nervous expression. She touched his cheek affectionately. He felt her hand on his face and looked down at her. Now it was Gamora's turn to comfort Peter's fears, just like he did hers.

"Peter, it's OK. We're going to be fine, just like you said." she said with confidence.

He nodded. "That's my brave girl."

The child hugged Peter once more just as Rocket announced that the ship was going to attempt a hyper jump.

"I love you, Peter." The seven year old said.

"I…love you too." He replied. Peter closed his eyes shut and embraced Gamora tightly just as the _Milano_ hyper jumped.

* * *

Yondu watched as the Guardians of the Galaxy disappeared in a white flash from his view.

"Sonofabitch." He murmured, leaning back in his chair with a stunned look on his face. The blue-skinned man eyed the Troll doll once more in his hand.

"Boss, do you wanna go after them?" one of his cronies asked.

"Nah…I'll let this one slide this time." Yondu said and then chucked the toy over his shoulder laughing obnoxiously. "Peter, you may be a rat bastard, but I love ya!"


	8. Chapter 8

All was calm in space. Nothingness cast itself in the black sky. Suddenly, a white burst appeared and the _Milano_ came into view. As the spaceship floated in the sea of stars, the crew was quiet. They were happy to get away from Yondu and his band of thugs, but no one expressed any cheers of celebration. Everyone had the same thought: was Gamora alright? The men knew about the state of the hyperdrive, but with no other choice in escaping the mercenaries, it worth the risk. But was the risk too great when it came to Gamora's well-being?

Peter still had his grasp on the unknown object in his arms, eyes shut tight. He was afraid to look and see if the seven year old was back to her normal, adult self or…

"Peter, what are you doing?"

"Huh?"

The hero's eyes snapped open and he looked down. In his arms was Gamora, still in that pink and red floral dress he picked out for her all those months ago, now back to being an adult. Thankfully, the dress accommodated her now grown-up body and fit her perfectly.

_Just like the Hulk's pants._ Peter humorously noted. Laughing, he hugged the confused former assassin.

"Gamora! You're back!" he cried in joy.

Upon hearing their leader's exuberant cries, Rocket, Drax and Groot rushed over to find Peter holding an irritated adult Gamora.

"Gamora!" Drax and Rocket happily shouted.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on? And why am I wearing a dress only a housewife would wear?!"

After giving her some breathing space, each of the heroes proceeded to tell Gamora what had happened to her. She patiently listened to the stories of how she had been transformed back to being a child and all the fun times she had with her team mates as a seven year old. Finally, after the last story was told, Peter, Drax, Rocket and Groot awaited to hear what Gamora had to say.

"The four of you know how to weave tall tales." She wasn't convinced.

"But I don't know how to knit." Drax said, not understanding the metaphor the woman used.

"It means I think you all are a bunch of lairs. And I think I know who put you all up to it." Gamora explained to Drax and then shifted a glare at Peter.

"You think I'm the mastermind behind this prank? For once, I can safely say I'm not. All those stories we told you were true." Peter said, defending the group's actions.

Gamora just shook her head and took her leave. But when she arrived at her bunk to change her clothes, she was surprised by how messy her living space was! All over the floor where children's games and toys; the closet filled with little girl's clothing.

"Peter Quill, you get over here right now or so help me…!" the ex-assassin shouted.

"You're on your own, buddy." Rocket quipped as he and Groot made a hasty retreat to the raccoon's workshop.

"I need to, uh…go polish my knives." Drax stuttered and quickly bolted to his bunk.

Now all by himself, Peter gulped in fear. Hell hath no fury like a pissed off former warrior.

* * *

Thankfully, Gamora didn't cause any permanent injuries to the Terran (though Peter sustained a few deep bruises on his arms and cheek from her kicks and punches). And everything was back to normal. Life continued for the Guardians of the Galaxy. They fought their enemies, traveled all over space and even partied a little too hard (Rocket and Drax where drinking buddies after all with Peter being the designated driver).

But Peter noticed a change in Gamora. At first, the woman didn't exactly let on her true emotions; an expert manipulator never does. And yet, it was during the quiet times in between missions she grew even more reserved, even thoughtful when she wanted to be. This new, almost sensitive Gamora truly made herself known the night she and the others had come back from a recent mission.

The group had to deal with a band of rebels and where exhausted. They managed to sabotage the rebel's plans to blow up a government meeting-house, but the fight with the thugs proved to be a challenge. In the end, the rebels were defeated and arrested, and the guardians got paid a rather impressive amount of credits from the Nova Corps for their hard work. Peter was about to take a nice, long hot shower when he discovered the alien woman looking at a cassette tape in her hand.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked her.

"One of your tapes you carelessly left in the galley. You should be more careful with them, Peter." Gamora told him. "I know how much they mean to you. But this particular one is…different from the others you have."

"How so?"

"Take a look."

Gamora held up the cassette for the man to see. Written in permanent black marker, the label read _Gamora's Awesome Mix, Vol. 1_. Peter had almost forgotten about that tape! He had stored the mix tape he made with the then juvenile Gamora in the cassette tape briefcase not long after she returned to normal. Peter had recently reorganized the storage case and must have subconsciously forgotten to place this one back. His heart fluttered a bit when the woman found the tape they had made together. Would she love the gift just as much as she did when she was a little girl?

"You ruined the surprise!" Peter said in mock disappointment. "I wanted to give you this for your birthday."

"Really? Or is this another attempt to use your pelvic sorcery on me?" Gamora raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"It certainly is not! I am a true gentleman." Peter said in mature voice with a hint of self-deprecation.

"If you are a gentleman, then I'm a lady in waiting." Gamora responded in the same sarcastic tone.

"Jokes aside, I would love for you to listen to it when you get the chance. I think you'll be surprised how thoughtful that mix tape is we made together when you were a kid."

"For the last time, I still don't believe you! But since you are being so nice right now, I will listen to the cassette."

"You can use my Walkman if you want a more intimate experience."

"I'll just use that tape deck of yours. I feel like everyone should hear the desperate attempt of how much of a womanizer you are." Gamora retorted.

Peter huffed, but he wasn't going to let the green-skin beauty's comment get under his skin. The songs on that tape would prove Gamora wrong! Gamora went over to the double tape cassette player and inserted the tape into the machine. She sat on Peter's bunk and hit play as Peter himself left the room to take that well-deserved shower.

He returned after thirty minutes had past. Now dressed in a clean t-shirt and lounge pants, Peter just finished towel-drying his wet hair as he walked back toward Gamora.

"So what does the cold-hearted woman think of the mix tape?" he jested as he threw the bath towel to the side.

But all Peter got was silence. Gamora had her back turned toward him, staring at the still-operating music player. The music was on a low volume setting, yet they both could still hear it play softly over the speakers.

"Gamora? Are you OK?" Peter wondered.

"I'm fine." she said quietly, not turning in his direction. The tone of her voice was full of a reminiscing sadness.

"Really? I'm not so sure."

Gamora then turned toward Peter. Tears had begun to stream down her face.

"Peter…" she said, shifting awkwardly.

"Yes, Gamora?"

With a burst of energy, the former warrior leap into Peter's arms and embraced him. Surprised, Peter didn't know what to make of this. Here was the most dangerous woman in all of space burying her tear-stained face into his chest, crying and hugging him tightly. He ultimately returned her loving gesture, wrapping his arms around her.

"Gamora…it's OK."

"I know. It's just…I finally remember."

"Remember? Remember what?"

She sniffled and then spoke. "I remember when I was a child again. I didn't want to accept it at first, but after listening to this mix tape you and I made together…all those memories came flooding back."

Peter let a small smile appear as he cradled the woman in his arms lovingly. "You were with people who care about you very much. The guys and I hoped you would recall those memories and you did. I know that short amount of time can't make up for all the years Thanos abused you, but I hope it was enough to let you have some fun times from a childhood you deserved to have."

"Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Gamora told him.

For what seemed like an eternity the two stood in the middle of the room holding each other as the mix tape rolled into the next song: "Advice for the Young at Heart" by Tears for Fears. The song perfectly summed up the heroes time with one another; it reflected the joys and fears of being with the seven year old Gamora and it also mirrored Peter's love for her. Was it possible for her to accept the Terran's feelings for her, even after all that had happened?

"I don't think I can ever repay you and the rest of the crew for what you have given me."

"No payment is necessary." Peter told Gamora. _But even if you could, would you make me the happiest man in the whole galaxy and fall in love with me? _

She smiled, but then an idea came to the woman. "I think I know how I can personally repay you, Peter."

"If it's to be your stand-in training dummy, I'm gonna have to pass; still sore from the last sparring match I had with you."

Gamora chuckled. "Trust me; it has nothing to do with fighting. Do you remember that story you told me when I was a little girl about the Lord and the Warrior Princess?"

"I do."

"Well…in the story, the princess and the Lord had to dance with one another in order for that curse to be lifted. And I think the princess wants the Lord to dance with her sometime in the near future."

Peter realized that she figured out what the fairy tale's true intent was…and was glad.

"Of course." He replied. "I'd be happy to take you dancing, if that's what the Warrior Princess truly wants."

Gamora smiled and placed a kiss on Peter's cheek. "Then I accept, my Lord. But I prefer Queen over Princess any day."

Peter laughed. "As you wish." He held his love in his arms, happy to see that Gamora felt the same about him.

THE END


End file.
